My plan was to contact him before I started preparing to find deals and start aligning a "team" of contacts that I could use.You are welcome to contact him and tell him I sent you. 

Figure out what they are looking for in an investment and align to that in a way that you both benefit, but especially them.  

There a lot of things to consider and the place you select should be aligned with your goals. 

Acquire at least 8 units each netting $200/month income to align with my Jan 2014 plan of 8 units/year @250/month X 5 years. 4.

There's always going to be opportunities in any market but I prefer to go where there are I can get as many deals that align with my goals (monthly cash flow while building long-term wealth) the easiest.My advice to you is to talk to local investors and see if they are successfully investing in LA and if the cost for entry meets your financial capability.

I like the fact that the sponsor is putting up 14% of the equity, that shows a lot of confidence and alignment of interests with the investorrs.

Not all of this information aligns.

No matter what type of real estate investing you decide to get into you will have to do your own research and analysis and make sure the investment will work for you and aligns with your goals. 

That being said, becoming a real estate agent has provided me with several benefits that have helped me become a better investor and a more skilled professional:You gain firsthand experience in real estate while still saving moneyYou learn more about negotiation and how to talk to other agents and industry professionalsIf you work with other investors, it allows you to become a better investor yourselfYou can earn extra income in addition to your W2 job, which can accelerate savingsWorking with a high-performing real estate team forces you to grow in ways you may not have grown at your W2 jobThere's definitely pros and cons to both, but ultimately, it comes down to what aligns with your long term goals.

As an MSA Cleveland is comparable to Columbus, but on a city level there is no comparison between Columbus and Cleveland...I would suspect that any tax increases directly impacting Cleveland city would be in alignment with what's tolerable and possible- which isn't much...unfortunately, they have had a steadily declining population for 40-years....it's just the way of a declining city.